Means for dispensing cotton-tipped applicators



J. F. CASTNER Feb. 8, 1966 3,233,729 MEANS FOR DISPENSING COTTON-TIPPED APPLICATORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 11 1963 INVENTOR. @6606? BY @4 44 ATTORNJYS Z/O/Z/Z Z 6 a; 46",,

Feb. 8, 1966 J. F. CASTNER 3,233,729

MEANS FOR DISPENSING COTTON-TIPPED APPLICATORS Filed Dec. 11 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Hafiz? f Cs fiezfi BY f% gTTO KEYS Feb. 8, 1966 J. F. CASTNER 3,233,729

MEANS FOR DISPENSING COTTQN-TIPPED APPLICATORS Filed Dec. 11 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 .EIE.//

INVENTOR. (fa/21? 2 I CQQZf/Zer ATTORNE S United States Patent Ofilice 3,233,729 Patented F eb. 8, 1966 3,233,729 MEANS FOR DISPENSING COTTflN-TIPPED APPLICATORS it John F. Castner, Detroit, Mich, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Hankseraft Company, Reedsburg, Wis., a

corporation of Wisconsin Filed Dec. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 329,661 Claims. (Cl. 206-56) This application is a continuation-in-part application of my application filed on July 11, 1960, US. Serial No. 42,001 on a Cotton-Tipped Applicator Package, now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to applicator or swab dispensing, and more specifically to means by which such articles are dispensed.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in various dispensing devices, a particularly useful application is made in a dispensing device which .is constructed to receive a series of cotton-tipped applicators which are carded in accordance with the present invention, and which are released and dispensed from such card by such dispenser.

The present invention includes a dispenser which has a manually operatable mechanism that detaches the next swab or applicator from a carded strip of the same, and which thereafter transfers such detached swab or applicator to a place of ready access. contemporaneously, a feeder mechanism advances the carded strip of swabs so that the manually operatable mechanism will act to dispense only one such swab from the carded strip at a time. The present invention thus includes the carded strip of swabs.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide means for dispensing cotton-tipped applicators.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing mechanism for cotton-tipped applicators.

A still further object of the present invention is .to provide a carded strip of cotton-tipped applicators or swabs from which individual swabs or applicators may be readily dispensed.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of flexible sheet material which holds a plurality of cotton-tipped applicators in closely spaced relation to each other in a manner enabling machanized removal of each applicator from the strip.

, Still another object is to provide a carded strip of swabs which can be easily and economically produced .on a mass production basis.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a swab dispenser which may be operated by merely pushing on the cabinet thereof.

Yet another object is to provide a swab dispenser which will dispense individual swabs from a carded strip of such swabs.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a representative means for dispensing cotton-tipped applicators or swabs, the same being illustrated in horizontal use, provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the swab dispensing means of FIGURE 1, showing the same as being supported on a vertical support surface;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an end view thereof;

FIGURES 5, 6, and 7 are enlarged cross-sectional views illustrating the dispensing of a swab, taken along line V-V of FIGURE 3;

FIGURES 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary views of the left end of FIGURE 3 illustrating operation of the strip feeder;

FIGURE 10 is a plan view of a carded strip of swabs or applicators provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 11 is an end view thereof; and

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the stick portion of a swab.

As shown on the drawings:

The means for dispensing cotton-tipped applicators includes both a swab dispenser and a carded strip of swabs or applicators. An understanding of the latter facilitates an understanding of the former. Referring therefore first to FIGURES 10-12 there is shown a carded of strip of swabs or applicators generally indicated at 15. A strip or tray 16 comprises paperboard or other flexible-resilient sheet material and includes an intermediate portion 17 which comprises a relatively broad base panel, to which there is attached opposite marginal edge portions 18, 18 which comprise relatively narrow integral side panels. As best seen in FIGURE 11, the side panels or marginal edge portions 181 are each disposed at an obtuse angle to the intermediate portion 17, and are hinged thereto at a pair of fold lines 19, 19. Each of the side panels 18 is provided with a series of uniformly sized and spaced apertures 20. Each aperture 20 is substantially tangent to the intermediate portion 17, and its diameter comprises a substantial part of the width of the panel 18. The apertures 20 in one panel 18 are aligned with the apertures 20 of the opposite panel 18. At each of the apertures 29, the panels 18 areprovided with a corresponding series of slits 21 which extend from the aperture to the outer edge. Each slit comprises a linear transverse cut and thus facilitates entrance and exit of individual swabs. The opposite edges 22 which define each slit 21 are closely adjacent to each a other. The diameter of the aperture 20 plus the length of its slit 21 comprises a major portion of the width of the panel 18, and in the illustrated embodiment, comprises the full Width thereof.

Aseries of swab assemblies is indicated at 23, and each swab assembly comprises a stick portion 24, and a pair of swab portions 25, 25 disposed at the opposite ends of the stick portion 24.

Each of the stick portions 24 or applicator sticks extends through analigned pair of the apertures 29, and is of slightly smaller cross section than such apertures. The cross-sectional size of the elongated stick or applicator stick or stick portion is uniform on both sides of the panels 18 and in between such panels 18, there thus being an increment of such stick portion 24 exposed and extending laterally outwardly of each side of the tray 16. Such increments are indicated at 26, 26, and are engaged by a mechanism described below to remove: the individual swabs 23 from the strip 16. Since the apertures 20 are tangent to the fold lines 19, the stick portions 24 each closely overlie and touch the base panel 16. One of the main features of the carded strip 15 is that each of the marginal edge portions or panels 18 has a free position indicated at 18' which is more obtuse than that shown in full lines. Thus, the stick portions 24 hold the marginal portions 18 in the position shown in full lines, which is slightly less obtuse than the free positon, such side panels 18 thereby being held out of the free position. By this tendency for the side panels 13 to return to their respective free positions, the means which defines the apertures is thus urged into a releasable swab-holding position, and the marginal portions 18 thus urge the stick portions 24 against the intermediate portion 17 of the strip 16. By this structure, the series of swabs 23 is supported, each swab being releasable as brought out more fully below, and each swab 23 being held in a fixed position in alignment with each other. By this structure, each swab is disposed at a predetermined fixed position, and thereby insures reliability of operation of the dispensing mechanism with which the same is associated and described below.

While the cross-sectional configuration of the stick portions 24 may be conventional, I believe it to be advantageous to use a cross-sectional configuration such as that shown in enlargement in FIGURE 12. The material is tubular plastic which is internally longitudinally serrated as at 27, and the external surface is provided with corresponding aligned serrations 28. By use of such a cross-sectional configuration, a minimum quantity of plastic may be used to fabricate the same while the structure affords a substantial amount of resistance to bending or crushing.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a swab dispenser assembly 29 which utilizes the carded strip 15 of swabs. The dispenser 29 is so constructed that it may rest upon a horizontal surface in the manner shown in FIGURE 1, or the same may be supported on a bracket 30 which is attachable to a vertical surface 31 as shown in FIGURE 2.

The dispenser 29 includes a cabinet generally indicated at 32 having a dispensing compartment 33 and a storage compartment 34. The compartments 33 and 34 receive carded strips 15 of swabs, there being but one such strip 15 at a time disposed in the dispensing compartment 33. Both of the compartments 33 and 34 are closed by a cover 35 which is pivotally carried on a pin 36 extending through the cabinet 32, the ends of the pin 36a being extended as shown in FIGURE 2 for being supported by the mounting bracket 30.

A manually operatable mechanism 36 is movably supported at one end of the cabinet 32, and is operative to detach each swab 23 one at a time and to transfer such detached swab laterally to a place of ready access. To this end, the manually operatable mechanism 36 includes a pair of parallel plunger means 37, 37 which are rigidly joined together at one of their ends by a plate means 38.

The cabinet 32 has a lower wall 39 which is apertured to receive each of the plunger means 37, an intermediate plate 41 which is similarly apertured for the same purpose, and which intermediate plate divides the dis pensing compartment 33 from the storage compartment 34, and an upper or front side-4'1. The cabinet walls 39 and 40 thus provide support and guidance for the plunger means 37, the means 36 being manually movable against the force of a return spring means 42, 42 which biases the mechanism 36 to one position. The return spring 42 acts between the intermediate wall 40 of the cabinet 32 and the joining plate means 38 to bias the plungers 37 away from the carded strip 15. Suitable pilot members 43, 43, 44, 44 are provided on the joining plate means 38 and on the intermediate plate or wall 40 respectively for retaining and guiding the ends of the springs 42. The lower wall 39 of the cabinet 32 is suitably apertured to accommodate and to receive such springs 42 and pilots 43. To limit the extent that the springs 42 may move the mechanism 36 in an outward direction, each of the plungers 37 is provided with a snap ring 45 engageable with the interior surface of the cabinet wall 39. Although the joining means 38 may be manually engaged to move the mechanism 36 further into the cabinet 32, the structure disclosed is particularly advantageously operated by having the joining means 38 distil posed against the supporting surface such as 31 in FIG- URE 2. The strength of the springs 42 is such that the end of the cabinet is held in an elevated or spaced position from the joining means 38. Manual force may then be applied to the cabinet 32 in a direction to compress the springs 42. In res onse to such relative movement, the upper end 46 of the plungers 37 is moved into engagement with the portions 26, 26 of the next carded swab 23, the ends 46 thus comprising portions of the manually oper-atable mechanism 36 which are movable into the dispensing compartment 33 and engageable with the next carded swab 23 at opposite sides-of the strip 16.

The upper or front wall 41 of the cabinet 32 is preferably transparent, to enable viewing of the carded strip '15 in the dispensing compartment 33. In line with the plungers 37, the cabinet Wall 41 is provided with an elongated dispensing slot 47 through which the plungers 37 may project for transferring the swab 23 to a place of ready access disposed externally of the dispensing compartment 33. The cabinet wall 41 is provided with a plurality of coactive fingers 43, 48, 49 which project from the cabinet 32 to receive the swab 23 thereoetween. The fingers 48 are disposed at one side of the slot 47, and the finger 49, which preferably is slightly resilient, is disposed at the opposite side of the slot 47.

The manually operatable mechanism 36 is normally in the position shown in FIGURES l5. In response to movement of the end of the cabinet toward the support surface, the mechanism is received within the cabinet 32 to a greater extent, thereby enabling the ends or portions 46 to engage the portions 26, 26 of the endmost carded swab 23 which resists detachment from the strip 16. Such resistance to detachment causes the lower or adjacent end of the carded strip to be elevated within the dispensing compartment 33 so that the edges of the integral side panels 18 engage the inner surface of the cabinet wall 41 adjacent to the elongated aperture 47. This relationship is best seen in FIGURE 6. Further movement of the mechanism 36 causes the portions 22 adjacent to each of the apertures 26) of the strip 16 to yield, thereby releasing such swab as shown in FIGURE 7 for further transfer to a position between the fingers 48 and 49 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 8, so that the same may be manually grasped.

When the strip 16 and the swab 23 separate, the end of the carded strip returns from an elevated position as shown in FIGURE 6 to a position substantially against the intermediate wall 41) as shown in FIGURE 7. This return movement is set forth more fully below.

The cabinet 32 is provided with a pair of side walls 50, 51, the inner surfaces of which in the dispensing compartment 33 comprise means adjacent to each of the swab ends for aligning the carded strip 15 with the manually operatable mechanism36.

The return spring means 42, 42 biases the manually operatable mechanism 36 to one position as explained above, which mechanism 36 is thus operative to detach the swab 23 from the strip 16 when such mechanism 36 is moved to a second position against the force of the spring means 42. The spring means 42 thereafter act as a return spring and returns the mechanism 36 to such one position after the mechanism 36 has been manually moved to such second position.

In order that the swab dispenser 29 may be operated a number of times to displace or dispense successive swabs 23, there is provided a strip feeder generally indicated at 52. The strip feeder 52 is movabl-y supported by the cabinet 32 and is operated by the joining means 38 of the mechanism 36 reciprocably in one direction against a bias to advance the carded strip 15 automatically after each swab 23 has been individually detached therefrom.

The strip feeder 52 includes a feeder bracket 53 best seen in FIGURE 8 which is pivotally supported on a pin 54 carried in the cabinet sides 50 and 51. A torsion spring 55 has an end 56 which acts against the cabinet 32 and an end 57 which acts against the feeder bracket 53 to pivotally bias the same to the position shown in FIGURES 57. A similar length of spring 58 is also provided on the pin 54 to serve as a spacer, thereby efiect- .ing centering of the feeder bracket 53. The joining means 38 has a plunger 59 which is receivable through a further aperture in the bottom wall 39 of the cabinet 32, and which engages the feeder bracket 53 as shown in FIGURE 7 to pivot the same from its normal position there illustrated to the position illustrated in FIGURE 8. Such pivoting is opposed by the feeder spring 55 which is thereby loaded so that when the mechanism 36 is released, the spring 55 will return the feeder bracket from the position shown in FIGURE 8 (in a counterclockwise direction in FIGURE 8) to its original position.

An elongated finger 60 is yieldably supported on the feeder bracket 53. The elongated finger 60 preferably comprises a spring finger having a sharp tip 61 which extends through a further aperture in the intermediate plate 40 for engagement with the lower surface of the strip 16. In this embodiment, the spring finger 60 is pivotally supported on the feeder bracket 53 by means of a pin 60a, and in addition to the yieldability of the spring finger 60 itself, further yieldability is provided by a biasing spring 62 which acts between the feeder bracket 53 and the finger 60 to bias the finger 60 in a clockwise direction. The biasing spring 62 thus acts between the feeder bracket 53 and the spring finger 60 to bias the spring finger 60 toward the carded strip 15, the biasing spring being yieldable in response to any excess pivoting of the feeder bracket 53 as explained more fully below.

In a dispensing operation, the feeder 52 does not begin to function during the initial engagement and elevation of the swab described above for FIGURE 6, and does not begin to function until after the swab 23 has been detached as shown in FIGURE 7. At this point, the plunger 59 engages the feeder bracket 53 as shown in FIGURE 7. During the remaining inward movement of the manually operatable mechanism 36, which elevates the swab 23 to the place of ready access between the fingers 48 and 49, the feeder bracket is pivoted from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to the position shown in FIGURE 8. In the condition shown in FIGURE 3, the biasing spring 62, here illustrated as being an extension spring, has no tension on it. In this condition, the finger 60 is substantially coplanar with the intermediate wall 40, and may slightly engage the carded strip 15. However, as the feeder bracket 53 pivots in a clockwise direction, the finger 60 is elevated so that the point 61 thereof slides along the undersurface of the carded strip by an amount equal to the spacing between a pair of successive apertures in the strip 16. This engagement raises the end of the strip 16 a second time from the position shown in FIGURE 7 to the position shown in FIGURE 8 into engagement with the lower surface of the cabinet wall 41. The feeder mechanism 52 is so sized and dimensioned with respect to the carded strip 15 as to effect the grasping of an increment of the proper size to be fed as it is pivoted in one direction. It is somewhat more ditficult to control the amount of resistance to elevation, or rather the point at which a certain resistance to elevation will begin, owing to the fact that the cotton tips cannot be dimensioned precisely. Thus, movement of the point 61 in a vertical direction by an adequate amount is built into the structure shown, and any excess movement in that direction is taken up by yielding of the spring 62. Thus, after each swab has been transferred to a place of ready access, the spring finger 60 is retracted to grasp an increment to be fed, and while being so retracted, the same is 6 loaded or biased concurrently with the loading or bias ing of the feeder spring 55.

As the spring finger 60 is retracted, there is a tendency for the carded strip 15 to move in a reverse direction. To prevent any reverse movement thereof of any consequence, there is provided a pawl 63 supported on the cabinet wall 41, and having a pair of fingers or curved ends 64 which extends down between a pair of carded swabs 23, preferably between two swabs 2.3 which follow the one being dispensed. The pawl 63 comprises spring material which urges the carded strip toward the intermediate wall 46. If the carded strip 15 tends to move in a reverse direction, the curved ends 64 butt into the next swab to be dispensed and limit any such reverse movement to a negligible amount. Thus the pawl 63 is operative on the carded strip 15 when the feeder 53 moves to grasp the next increment of the strip 16, and to hold the carded strip 15 substantially stationary. The yieldable finger means 64 are thus receivable between a pair of swabs 23 on the strip 16 and are operative on a succeeding carded swab. However, as the manually operatable mechanism 36 is released, the feeder spring 55 acts through the feeder bracket 53 to shift the spring finger 60 in a counterclockwise direction, thereby advancing the carded strip 15. As such advance takes place, the swab which engages the pawl fingers 64 forces such pawl fingers upwardly as shown in FIGURE 9, and the advancing movement of the strip continues until the next succeeding swab 23 engages the sides of the plungers 37 as shown in FIGURE 9. As the mechanism 36 is released further, the plunger 59 detaches itself from engagement with the feeder bracket 53, the feeder spring 55 continuing to bias the next swab 23 against the plungers 37 until such plungers 37 have been returned nearly entirely to the normal position shown in FIGURE 5. As the ends 46, 46 clear or move past such next swab 23, the feeder spring 55 resumes the feeding movement of the carded strip, shifting it a further amount which is substantially equivalent to the diameter of the stick portion 24 of the swab 23. Such final shift completes one dispensing cycle. This operation may be continued as long as there are swabs to be dispensed within the dispensing compartment 33.

It is to be noted that the spent or empty strip 16 continues to advance as shown in FIGURE 8. To accommodate such movement, the lower end of the cabinet is provided with an aperture generally indicated at 65 through which the strip 16 may pass. The means which defines such aperture 65 includes a cutting edge 66 best seen in FIGURE 9 against which the protruding end of the strip 16 may be deflected and thus torn at will.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A carded strip of swabs comprising:

(a) a strip of paperboard having opposite marginal edge portions having a free position disposed at an obtuse angle to an intermediate portion;

(b) said marginal portions each having means defining a series of uniformly sized and spaced apertures, each aperture extending to said intermediate portion;

(c) said marginal portions having slits at said apertures respectively extending from the outer edge of the marginal portions to the outer edges of said apertures; and

(d) a series of swabs each having a stick portion of uniform cross-section slightly smaller than the size of said apertures and extending through a pair of said apertures respectively disposed in said marginal portions and spanning said intermediate portion, the stick portions of said swabs acting on said outer edges of said apertures at said slits and jointly holding said marginal portions at a slightly less obtuse angle out of said free position, said marginal portions urging each of said stick portions against said intermediate portion to releasably hold said swabs in a fixed position on saidstrip in alignment with each other.

2. A carded strip of swabs comprising:

(a) a strip of paperboard having opposite marginal edge portions having a free position disposed at an obtuse angle to an intermediate portion;

(b) said marginal portions each having means defining a series of uniformly sized and spaced apertures, each aperture extending to said intermediate portion;

(c) said marginal portions having slits at said apertures respectively extending from'the outer edge of the marginal portions to the outer edge of said apertures; and

(d) a series of swabs each having a stick portion comprising a rigid plastic extrusion extending through a pair of said apertures respectively disposed in said marginal portions and said stick portion spanning said intermediate portion, each of the stick portions being tubular with an internal surface that is longitudinally serrated, and an external surface that is correspondingly serrated, the cross-sectional size of said stick portions being uniform and being slightly less than the size of said apertures, the external serrations of said stick portions of said swabs acting on said outer edges of said apertures at said slits and jointly holding said marginal portions at a slightly less obtuse angle out of said free position, said marginal portions urging each of said stick portions against said intermediate portion to releasably hold said swabs in a fixed position on said strip in alignment with each other.

3. A carded strip of swabs comprising:

(a) a strip of paperboard having opposite marginal edge portions having a free position disposed at an obtuse angle to an intermediate portion;

(b) said marginalportions each having means defining a series of uniformly" sized and spaced apertures, each aperture extending to said intermediate portion;

() said marginal portions having slits at said apertures respectively extending from the outer edge of the marginal portions to the outer edges of said apertures; and

(d) a series of swabs each having a stick portion of uniform cross-section slightly smaller than the size of said apertures and extending through a pair of said apertures respectively disposed in said marginal portions and spanning said intermediate portion, the stick portions of said swabs acting on said outer edges of said apertures at said slits and jointly holding said marginal portions at a slightly less obtuse '8 each aperture extending to said intermediate portion and having a diameter comprising at least one-half of the width of the respective marginal portions;

7 (c) said marginal portions having slits at said apertures respectively extending from the outer'edge of the marginal portions to the outer edges of said apertures; and

(d) a series of swabs each having a stick portion of uniform cross-section slightly smaller than the size of said apertures and extending through a pair of said apertures respectively disposed in said marginal portions and spanningsaid intermediate portion, the stick portions of saidswabs acting on said outer edges of said apertures at said slits and jointly'holding said'marginal portions at a slightly less obtuse angle out of said free position, saidmarginal portions urging each of said stick portions against said intermediate portion to releasably hold said swabs in a fixed position on said strip'in alignment with each other.

5. A carded vstrip of swabs comprising: v

(a) a strip of paperboard having opposite marginal edge portions having a .free position disposed at an obtuse angle to an intermediate portion;

(b) said marginal portions each having means defining a series of uniformly sized and spaced apertures, each aperture extending to said intermediate portion and having a diameter comprising at least one-half of the width of the respective marginal portions;

(c) said marginal portions having slits at said apertures respectively extending from the outer edge of the marginal portions to the outer edges of said apertures; and

(d) a series of swabs each having a stick portion of uniform cross-section slightly smaller than the size of said apertures and extending through a pair of said apertures respectively disposed in said marginal portions and spanning said intermediate portion, the stick portions of saidswabs vacting on said outer edges of'said apertures atsaid slits and jointly holding said marginal .portionsvat a. slightly less obtuse angle out of said free position, said marginal portions urging each of said stick portions against said intermediate portion to releasably hold said swabs in a fixed position on said strip in alignment with each other, each of said stick portions having an exposed length between its swab portion somewhat greater than the distance between the outer edges of said marginal portions, said exposed length projecting beyond the outer edges of both of said marginal portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS angle out of said free position, said marginal por- 354348 3/1904 Whlte' 21 tions urging each of said stick portions against said 1 g 2 74 intermediate portion to releasably hold said swabs ]2087Ol 12/1916 g in a fixed position on said strip in alignment with 30 2O56560 10/1936 i each other, each of said stick portions having an 26238O0 17/1952 Ha i exposed length between its swab portions somewhat 2839188 @1958 i gg gi 206 79 greater than the distance between the outer edges 47119 8/1958 La Padura of said marginal portions, said exposed length pro- 2881911 4/1959 K u r1ll 206-56 ecting beyond the outer edges of both of said mar- 3 048,268 8/1962 Rocchi et a1 206 65 f g azllpgg z t' i-n of Swab comprising 3,107,782 10/1963 JaroiT et al. Q 206- 56 (a) a strip of paperboard having opposite marginal 3133637 5/1964 slegler 206 65 edge portions having a free position disposed at an FOREIGN PATENTS.

obtuse angle to an intermediate portion; 5 5 10/1950 France (b) said marginal portions each having means defining a series of uniformly sized and spaced apertures, THERON QQNDQN, Primary Examiner, 

1. A CARDED STRIP OF SWABS COMPRISING: (A) A STRIP OF PAPERBOARD HAVING OPPOSITE MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS HAVING A FREE POSITION DISPOSED AT AN OBTUSE ANGLE TO AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION; (B) SAID MARGINAL PORTIONS EACH HAVING MEANS DEFINING A SERIES OF UNIFORMLY SIZED AND SPACED APERTURES, EACH APERTURE EXTENDING TO SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION; (C) SAID MARGINAL PORTIONS HAVING SLITS AT SAID APERTURES RESPECTIVELY EXTENDING FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF THE MARGINAL PORTIONS TO THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID APERTURES; AND (D) A SERIES OF SWABS EACH HAVING A STICK PORTION OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTION SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE SIZE OF SAID APERTURES AND EXTENDING THROUGH A PAIR OF SAID APERTURES RESPECTIVELY DISPOSED IN SAID MARGINAL PORTIONS AND SPANNING SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION, THE STICK PORTIONS OF SAID SWABS ACTING ON SAID OUTER EDGES OF SAID APERTURES AT SAID SLITS AND JOINTLY HOLDING SAID MARGINAL PORTIONS AT A SLIGHTLY LESS OBTUSE ANGLE OUT OF SAID FREE POSITION, SAID MARGINAL PORTIONS URGING EACH OF SAID STICK PORTIONS AGAINST SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION TO RELEASABLY HOLD SAID SWABS IN A FIXED POSITION ON SAID STRIP IN ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER. 